SAN DIEGO—Authorities said Jan. 18 they arrested two drivers in two separate incidents Jan. 15 at the San Ysidro border crossing, with the seizure of methamphetamine and fentanyl worth a combined total of $40,565 attached to their vehicle undercarriages.
At 5:15 a.m. Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry encountered a 42-year-old man driving a silver car through the vehicle SENTRI lane, according to Sidney Aki, director of field operations for the border patrol.
During the initial inspection, Ms. Aki said a CBP officer noticed several black, square-shaped packages attached to the vehicle’s undercarriage. The officer radioed for assistance and referred the driver and vehicle for further examination, Ms. Aki said.
Officers extracted two packages from the vehicle’s undercarriage, according to the director. The contents of the packages tested positive for methamphetamine weighing 7.71 pounds and worth an estimated street value of $11,565, Ms. Aki said.
Hours later, at about 7:40 a.m., CBP officers encountered a 51-year-old man driving a black SUV through the vehicle SENTRI lane. After the initial inspection, CBP officers referred the driver and vehicle for further examination, according to the director.
CBP officers discovered one square-shaped package attached to the undercarriage of the vehicle, Ms. Aki said. The packages were tested and identified as fentanyl blue pills weighing 2.56 pounds and worth an estimated street value of $29,000, the director said.
The combined estimated street value for both seizures was $40,565, Ms. Aki said.
Both drivers were arrested on suspicion of attempted narcotics smuggling. Officers turned the drivers over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations. Border Patrol officers seized the vehicles and narcotics.
